Of mystery and magic
by A Gentle Reverie
Summary: What if one action was all it took to change it all? An average girl once had a dream, a dream that lead to a place, a place that would lead to magic! A world she only could imagine in her dreams, and adventure. OC in the potterverse. Set in the "marauder era". 1979 [I am horrible with titles, so the first thing that dropped into my mind...]
1. Chapter 1: A Chance meeting

The sun had been shining brightly down from the sky all day. Although by now it was starting to set. On the road heading out of the streets of London was a small bright yellow Volkswagen beetle. Finally managing to get free from one of those all too familiar traffic jams, it would try to speed out and escape the bustle of the big city life. Although the car was making fast progress during the late afternoon, there was one thing left to do. The need for more gas. The yellow car pulled over to a small gas station. Out stepped a petite woman in a pair of bellbottomed jeans with bright sown patterns on the legs of the pants. Bright flowers up the two legs, covering her upper self in a late summer jacket. The weather had just started to nip at her, slowly becoming colder. Being all to used to warm summers.

In the background she could hear the ocean. Pushing some brown hair aside she'd turn and look towards the cliffs not far off. Although it was first the mere beauty of the landscape that struck her, she tilted her head. Something seemed, awfully familiar? Penny, tried to shake the feeling and just kept filling up her car with gas. Yet the feeling gnawed on her, even as she hurried inside to pay and get a few things for the road. Glancing out the window as she was picking out a bottle of cola, and a package of mints, she realized why. It was that strange dream she had, not too long ago. It had been an unsettling dream. She had those, fairly often, and sometimes they turned out to be true. Although she doubted it to be true, she could feel the draw. Surely it couldn't hurt to look. Penny felt a sting to her heart as she tried to mentally talk herself out of it. In her dream she had seen a young man follow an even younger child out towards the cliff, and that horrible feeling washed over her. Just the thought made her shudder. But what better way of disproving it? That it was merely a dream, that it was nothing but nonsense. Then again, what if it turned out to have some substance and she stumbled over the skeleton of a child? Perhaps the parents of the child would have some peace if she did. The notion of a rotting body was far worse. In the dream they had all been dressed very differently from the current fashion, so she might not find anything at all. After all, it was but a dream. Picking up a sandwich, another bottle of cola, some mints, and a few things. The drive back home to Worcester would take a few hours at best. Stepping back outside to the setting sun she pulled a colourful knit scarf out of her bag and wrapped it around her neck. Eyes still finding that area that looked oh so familiar. She had just gotten into the car, put it in drive when she decided. What could it hurt? So she parked it in a parkinglot next to the gas-station, locked it, and headed on over.

The soft wind tugged at her hair. Making the long curls turn into a mess atop of her head. She had a hat with her too, but she wasn't pulling that out yet. It was strangely nice to walk over the hard ground. Having some fresh air after the performance in London. The closer she got to the edge, the clearer it become, this was surely from her dreams. Huddling in her own arms, she stood there not far from the edge just looking out over the waves, the ocean, smelling the brine. It was a bit odd, she couldn't hear the normal seagulls. Those little monsters that loved to dive down and snatch her food if she stood too still near any water. Perhaps she was just being silly? That notion struck her, so as she turned her eyes caught on what looked like dark old wood. Being of curious nature she stepped closer to see what it was. It seemed mounted to the wall of the cliff. It was, a sort of stairs, leading to an insanely small beach, far down there. Why not? She had gotten so far. Biting on her lower lip, she found herself heading down the old squeaking wood stairs. They were old, hardly safe. Why was she even going down there? After some slow 5 minutes, approximately she found herself safely, if one could say that, by the beach. Was this one of those beaches that disappeared and reappeared according to the tide? So many questions. It was then she saw a strange small shadow, and sounds coming from nearby. It was rather loud, and oddly creepy. One had sounded like a scream, the other noises sounded like moans and grunts. Fighting perhaps? Who on earth would fight down there. Inching closer she followed after, to where she had seen the strange small shadow. It appeared to be further on the side. Hard to see in the dark rocks, she pulled out her flashlight. Clicking the on and off button a few times she fumbled. But it appeared to be some sort of cave. She had come so far, it sounded like someone at least was in pain. So she took a hold of the rocks of the cliff, the water was cold and probably deep. Penny calmed herself, she knew how to closer, the sounds grew louder. Then she managed to scramble over and up into what seemed like a cave.

"-Hello…?" she called out. And for one second, all that met her was a wall of silence. Then the groans, she heard them. They were louder, and she heard dragging sounds. Injury perhaps.

"-Get out!" someone shouted. A man. It sounded like a man. As her sight adjusted to the darkness of the cave, she took a few steps inside. Convinced there was someone injured. There was no good reason why anyone or anything would be in that cave. The sound of water splashing under her shoe as she stepped echoed in a haunting manner. A figure was visible, no several. They looked human. Penny grabbed for her flashlight again, this time turning it on and shining it right forward. What she saw, was not what she expected.

Before her was a pale, dead body. She could tell it was dead. It was strangely coloured, bloated, an arm was missing. Another was skinny, almost a skeleton. Their face was twisted in a haunting expression. Their jaw hanging limp, eyes rolled back, or blanked out. One had even black eyes. They were, zombies! Fear jumped into her chest. She could fel her heart going 1000 beats a minute. Moving the flashlight around she could hear them hiss and grunt. Although one had been coming for it, it stopped when the light hit them. Her flashlight had bounced around some, until it hit a small crowd of them near water. They were trying to pull someone under. Eyes went big. They let go of him. And before she could think of something else. The man came towards her, grabbed her and…she heard a pop?

He had thought his day had come. Those things had a firm grip of him, Kreacher had luckily showed up to help him. It seemed however someone had heard them. A muggle from the look of it. But that muggle had just saved his life. As he grabbed her, he apparated, taking the two of them somewhere else. It was of course, instinct. The landing was more of silent awkwardness. Regulus was holding on tightly to a young woman, his own age with long brown hair, and fair skin. Once he let go she backed up, and looked around, with a clear expression of distress.

"-Please, stay calm, I can explain all of this…."

The girl threw him a look of doubt. Slowly she was backing off, and for the first time he found himself trying to grab and hold onto a muggle.

"-Please…" it looked for a second like she had wanted to scream, then had stopped.

The silence lingered. They were in the middle of 'no-where'. Although he wasn't quite sure what to do, a plan was quickly forming in his mind. What place was better to hide a horcrux, than somewhere they'd never even look? Like a muggle. There was no need for introductions; he saw she had a purse with her. The plan was already formed. Grabbing his wand, he turned, and the next word spoken was "Stupefy" the girl stiffed right there on the spot, and he ran to catch her before she tilted over and hurt herself. Kneeling beside her, He started to fumble through the contents of her purse. Finally finding a bright pink wallet, typical girl. He smirked a bit because she hadn't struck him as one of the overly girly girl ones. Opening the wallet, he found her drivers-license. He didn't know what it was, he just needed her identified, and he managed to by using that. The photo of the girl, a non-moving one, not very flattering either, along with age, address, and name, even car. Penelope Iris (?) Gosling. Living at 10 Lovelace Street, Worcester. Then he found a pen and notepad in her purse and scribbled it down on for him to remember. Taking a deep breath, it was a plan, the only plan he had right now.

"-I'm very sorry for this…." Once more the wand lifted "obliviate"

Penny found herself waking up inside her little beetle. Her bag on the other seat. A cola bottle sticking out of it. Had she fallen asleep? Her body felt strange. Stiff, a bit achy even. It was late however, her parents had to been worried sick. Although befuddled, puzzled, and honestly feeling strange, she started the car and headed on home. There was this feeling in the back of her mind that something had happened. She recalled stopping at the gas-station, buying a few things, that was still there. Maybe she had just fallen asleep? That had to be it.

Once she got home a worried mother and father met her in the door.

"-where have you been young lady!" her mother said, in her dressing robe, standing there on the steps in front of their home.

"-I'm sorry mom" she chirped, rubbing her eyes."I was just tired, I took a nap on my way over here"

It was odd though, she still felt very, very tired. Yanking her bag with her, she locked the car, headed on in while she spoke to her parents. Telling them all about her day. About the performance, about London, how much fun she and her friends have had. But nothing worth mentioning about her journey home. Dragging her heavy feet up the stairs she finally fell onto her bed, dropping her purse beside her. Starting to sort through the items to put them all away she was a bit puzzled. She could have sworn she bought two bottles of cola, but there was only one in there, although she had drank half of it. Her flashlight was gone too. Maybe she had only taken one of the bottles from the station? Maybe it was just stuck under the seat of her car, it was possible. Whilst while rummaging through the bag she found a necklace. It looked like a locket of sorts. A long silver chain, with a well-crafted locket with a big S on it. The S being crafted in green gems, probably emeralds. Quite stunning work. It appeared to be very old. Holding it up Penny stared at it with big eyes. It had to be worth a fortune. When had this come into her possession? Maybe one of her friends had left it in her car and it had fallen into her bag? Farfetched but, it was beautiful, and she couldn't recall anyone giving her anything. Feeling uneasy about it she put it away in a drawer. The day had seemed so normal, yet, it felt so uncanny...


	2. Chpt 2: Step through the looking glass

Chapter two: A step through the looking glass.

8 months had passed since her time in London. Since that day that felt uncanny. The day, it's events had all been forgotten, had it but been for a reminder in form of a locket. The locket had eventually been put under the seat of her car. Just so her brothers wouldn't find it when they were home at Christmas and tease her about it. 'Ooooh Penny look what I found, did you get a boyfriend!? Penelope had 4 brothers, one younger, and three that were older than her. All, like her and her parents, with strange double names. Like all brothers they teased her, and she teased them in return. It was the duty of a sibling.

Jotting down the final line of her essay she shut the book and leaned back with content sigh. It had been a long day, and the smell of her mother's famous lasagne and garlic bread from downstairs was distracting her.

"Penny dear!" her mother shouted up the stairs "There is a young here to see you. He says he is from your class at university. Wondering if he could borrow some of your notes." Penny lifted a brow for a moment, but it was not uncommon to borrow notes from each other in class. Sometimes people missed classes cause of illnesses or work. Grabbing her large leather bag she head on downstairs.

"Coming!"

The sound of a woman jogging steps made him peek around the mother. Once the woman had opened the door he knew he had the right house. The two, from his memory of her, that brief memory, looked somewhat alike. Same hair colour and facial shape. Then sure enough, there she was. With her bag over her shoulder. The same one he had crammed the necklace into. He waved to her. Having done his best to blend into the muggleworld by dressing as a muggle, he was wearing a pair of red plaid trousers, and a bright yellow sweater. Having his own over-the-shoulder bag. Lifting his hand to wave at her, she seemed to come to a halt for a few seconds, brows furrowed. Did she recognize him? No. He was sure she didn't. The polyjuice was still working. Even if it wasn't working, he had erased her memory last they met.

"I am going to go save the baguettes, is your friend staying for dinner hm?" her mom cooed, and nudged her gently with an elbow. Penelope's cheeks flushed as her hand rested against the door,

"Mom…I…"

"No, sadly I can't I'm afraid." He answered. Saving her the trouble. "Just have to pick up the notes."

"Well then, I shall just….leave you two alone then" her mother cooed in a teasing manner as she slowly, very slowly , and with head and upper body bent back, went into the kitchen.

"So yeah, that's my mom, I have the notes here just…" Penelope turned her face to the side and dug into her bag. The guy in front of her was not one she expected to see anytime soon. It was Stephen Hallock, one of the more popular and handsome guys in her class. Playing on the football [soccer for you americans] team even. What he was doing here was beyond her. Pulling the note book a bit up from the bag he suddenly pulled her outside, the door behind her shut. Blinking curiously at him

"Could we talk in your car?" he asked. Penelope's cheeks felt even warmer than before , instead of trying to squeak out an answer, she merely nodded and plucked r keys out from her pocket. Mentally beating herself up as they walked the short distance from the door of the house to her little yellow beetle bug. Opening the passenger door, then the driver's door she didn't even have to invite him in, before he had jumped in the passenger seat.

"Do you need a ride home or something?" she'd ask.

"Well first I'd like to talk to you about something"

Her heart was nearly jumping through her chest as he said that. Before she had even decided if it was bad, good, or normal, he continued.

"My sister, Sarah, you met her right?" he started

"Noo, don't think I have…" she had actually never spoken to him either, which was why this was a bit odd. But he surely meant no harm.

"Oh, thought you had. She was in London a while ago, said she had seen your car and seen the window open. Through some clumsy action on her behalf she had dropped her locket. It is an old locket from our grandmother, and I was just wondering if …it was true? If you had seen it or…it is long shot I know"

Penelope blinked. Well least now it made more sense, but she couldn't recall Sarah. Then again, she had told no one about this so there was no way anyone else knew.

"Oh yeah, totally, I found it and wondered how it got here. It's in the car. I'll get it, it's in the front." She couldn't even grab for the doorhandle to get out before he had gotten out. That was quick. "Allow me" he said.

"But what about the notes!" she shouted. Then noticed his keys had dropped out his pocket. Men! Sometimes they were just such a hassle to deal with. Leaving things everywhere. This one was already proving to much like one of her brothers. Deadpanning she sighed, and leaned over, she could hear him shout something "Destroy the necklace if you can!"

"Stephen, you forgot your….." Penny grabbed them, and right then and there her line was cut short. A sensation of someone hooking a large hook behind her and flung her through the air. For a second she could see images and clouds hurling by her. It didn't last long at all, merely a second. After that it was all silence.

What surrounded her now was no longer the cosy Lovelace Street in Worcester. It was a very dark looking forest, although she was very sure it was still daylight, the foliage was thick and the trees so tall it made it hard to discern. The sun might be setting as well. Penelope held her breath, hoping this was just one more of the strange and bizarre dreams, then the minutes ticked by and it slowly became a realization. This was reality. Staying there was out of the question, there could be animals out nearby .There could be bears, things with rabies, and birds that would delight in shitting on her newly cleaned car. Turning the key around she started the car, with a certain tint of apprehension she started to drive through the tall trees. At least she heard birds singing. Not to mention she was seething, whatever had just happened! Whatever it was! It was, without doubt, Stephen's fault. Muttering as the car slowly went forward, crossing the tall grass and occasional bumps. After a few minutes she was not even sure if she was heading the right direction. Fighting the urge to scream out loud curses and knock her head repeatedly against the steering wheel she finally spotted what looked like a pathway. A pathway meant people had to be nearby. Not necessarily right at that very moment, but people had to tread the path on a regular basis for them to remain. Turning the wheel the mighty beetle fought its way over a large bump of grass and weed before she made it out there. The car was much bigger than the pathway, much bigger, but it was a start. As long as her car fit she'd continue.

A good 30 minutes passed. Keeping a close eye on the road and her how much gas was left. She was very sure one of the tires had gone flat by then, but there was a fear over her in that forest. With the sun setting it was adding to her fear. As her hope was slowly fading, there was something in sight that ignited a new spark. Light! She saw light! Never had she ever been so happy to seen light. Perhaps, if there was someone there, a house, they could tell her where she was. Cause she had no idea. Penelope was hungry, cold, and alone in nowhere. Through means she couldn't explain. There was nothing to explain this. Magic was the only way, and there was no such thing! But the more she thought of it, that one unlikely explanation seemed to be the only valid cause. Finally the forest started to become more scattered apart. Allowing for easier drive and for her to finally make it out of the forest. Penny felt excited as she finally drove out on flat grass, and nothing but grass. Then she noticed the lights, and lifting her gaze what she saw next astounded her. It was a large castle. Ancient from the looks of it, with lights coming from the tall towards and large halls. It wasn't far off at all. The little light that had drawn her had been the light from a smaller round shack nearby. As if on some ridiculous cue, her car gave in. The battery simply died on her and the beetle stopped.

Almost in tears she slammed the door behind her, grabbed her bag, got the locket out of the luggage room in front, and hurried to the shack. It was barely 50 meters away. Wrapping her arms around herself she found herself standing on a pair of old wooden stairs. The door in front of her was huge, she couldn't hear anyone inside, but knocked, more in hope than expectation. All she needed was a phone so she could call home, tell her mom and dad she was alright, and drive back. Then she'd kick Stephen in the butt for what he did. No one answered the door, of course, if the person in the shack was out, and then there was that castle. Castle it was! Turning on her heel she headed over the open ground in front of her, as she got closer, the slower she walked. That castle was truly something beautiful. It was almost like walking right into a fairytale of sorts. A castle from the ancient tales. Penelope would gently nudge the first door she found at the side of a hall. It was, by luck, open, so she walked inside. Shutting it quietly behind her.

The halls seemed endless, although she had not moved from where she entered, she felt overwhelmed. Taking the first step into the long hall, she tried to take in her surroundings. Old stone walls. The floor as well was made off flat grey stone. The small step she had taken sounded so brash in the lingering silence of the hallway. Undeterred, she continued. Passing by old wall decorations, banners with different animals on them. As she continued she noticed a pattern. Four animals that kept showing up. A badger, a snake, a raven, and a lion. Whoever lived there had to be quite rich. There were plenty of silver and gold adornments placed around the place. From a window she had seen several statues decorating the walls outside. It was down the desolated passage that she came to a halt. A tear trickled from her eye and freely down her cheek. It was fear building up, when she heard a kind woman's voice behind her.

"Are you feeling unwell m'dear?" the woman's voice was calm and sounded like that of a grandmothers. Kind and warm. Penelope looked around for the woman, but saw no one. There was no one there, until, the painting waved at her. The painting waved at her. For a second she thought she was going to have a heartattack, but instead she wiped her tear.

"I'm sorry…" Penny muttered.  
"Oh dearie, don't be sorry."

Surely this had to be a dream? A painting moving and talking to her. But so far, everything from the moment she stepped outside her home, had been strange. So why not just go with it? If it was a dream, she'd wake soon.

"Are you lost?" she asked "You seem rather flustered, and I cannot remember seeing you around here. Are you in need of anything?" The woman spoke clearly with a welsh accent. With red locks of hair like her father tied up in some sort of updo. Her clothing was a yellow dress from the medieval times. Penelope remained silent for a second. Why not take it and run with it? She had gotten here in the blink of an eye, maybe she could home in the same way? If she followed through with this hokrus thing.

"I….am lost yes, I met this guy" she pointed subconsciously in the direction she had come from "and he gave me a necklace. He said it was a hokrukk or something, and said I had to destroy it….but I don't know how"

The woman's eyes shut wide up, showing their vibrant blue colour.

"Oh I see, yes I can see why you'd be scared and upset in a time like this. Those things are very dangerous. But …" the woman waved at her to come closer to the painting, so Penny did.

"There is a spot on the 7th floor, in the left hallway that would be for you. " The rotund woman then nodded to her "And it will give you whatever you need….whatever you need.

"How do I get there….?" She'd ask. "I am not sure where I am…"

"well m'dearie you walk through those doors to the grand staircase, and continue up to the 7th floor. The rest speaks for itself, you know the way" she said in an almost merry fashion. Penny looked to the door, then back to the woman in the painting, offering a nod and smile.

"Now, now, off you go" she chirped and shooed Penny with her hands. That made Penny feel oddly warm at heart, that smile and gentle sparkle in her eye.

The stairs was not quite what she had imagined. As much as they were actual stairs, looked and seemed very much like stairs. She had nearly peed her pants when one of them had swung over quickly to the platform she was standing on. Luckily for her there was a solid stone railing to clutch onto. It was like she had fallen through the looking glass and right into the world of Alice in Wonderland, but so far, no bottled concoctions. No smoking larvae and no mad hatters. Keeping her goal in mind, she braved herself to jump onto the moving staircase, and it swung. It moved in several directions, quite a few of them did. Seemed like you needed a plan of where you were going to get anywhere in that space. One after the other, and surely enough, soon she found herself on the 6th floor. Keeping her head down she kept walking, she heard steps in front of her, looked up and saw a young man with straw coloured hair. A few pounds too much around his stomach, but he looked, chirpy.

"Hey there, heading up to the tower?" he asked. Befuddled she blinked and nodded.

"Yeah, just…think I forgot something up on the 8th floor" she lied. Although she'd normally grab this person for help, the woman in the painting had told her to go to the 7th, and oddly enough, all her trust was put in that right now. For all she knew this man could be an illusion. So for her dream to end, she was doing what was asked of her.

"Are you going out to Hogsmeade later?"

Hogsmeade? That sounded like some sort of dubious prank festival, something she wasn't sure about.

"Nooo don't think so, just not feeling up for it you know. But you guys have fun though, have a drink for me and all" she smiled at him. The man laughed and grinned widely at her.

"Sounds like a plan, sorry I think I forgotten your name. I'm Peter, but you probably remembered that. One of the aurors you know…"

"Oh yeah! Yeah I remember now. I'm P..Paisley." She pretended, lied, and she had no idea who he was at all. "I was thinking your face was familiar, but I couldn't put a name on it, silly me…! Ok I will see you later. Say hi to everyone!" Peter nodded, she nodded, and she went on her merry way as he ran down the stairs, whistling merrily to himself. So close. Why was she so scared anyway? If she had stopped him told him she was lost, she might have been out of there in seconds. It was too late to go back on it, Peter had already opened a door a few floors down and gone his merry way. She was left there, with one floor left to go.

The 7th left hallway of the 7th floor, really seemed like normal hallway in a castle. A bit more empty perhaps than the first hallway she had been inside, and the grand staircase with paintings everywhere. All paintings that moved. She oculd have sworn she heard some even whisper. Penny kept trying some doors, all were locked. She ended up pacing up and down the hall quite a few times in frustrations. Had the painting fooled her? Letting out a deep sigh she bonked her head softly against the stonewalls, when she noticed a light that had come and gone as a flash. Curiousty got her to turn and face a door. It was close to the intersection between the two hallways. Penny was fairly sure it had not been there before. Placing a hand onto the doorknob, she twisted it to the left. A n almost silent click was heard and the door opened. Quickly she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, what was in front of her now was, like everything so far. Unexpected.

By the wall was a kitchen table with lasagne ane and garlic baguettes, salad. A cheesecake as dessert on the other end of it. The room was warmly light with torches on the wall, and a crackling fireplace at the other end of the room. The middle of the room was another story. There was a bejewelled dagger. Its hilt and blade shining brightly in the flames, its gems showing their violet colour as them flames danced across it. Though the food was very tempting, and her stomach screamed at her to give it something, anything, she wanted this over with. Just get it over with, and she'd be home. Before she knew it, the dagger was in her hand, the locket was out on the table. Arm was lifted, dagger was aimed, eyes were closed, and with as much force she could muster, she stabbed down and into the locket.

And nothing….

There was nothing. Opening her eyes again she gazed down on the locket, which now had a dagger sticking out through it. A dark liquid was flowing from it. It was, bleeding? A dark air was seeping from it. At first it looked like dark grey fog. Then it turned a bit green. It grew bigger and bigger like a massive cloud. Penny slowly got up from her knees and started to back up towards the door. This had been a bad idea, such a bad idea. It was slowly taking a black and green colour, shaping into what might be a face. By then Penny was desperately fidgeting with the knob. Never had she been so keen on getting out of a room. Finally the door slammed open, and as that….cloudy head started to move, and make a horrible sort of screaming noise, she was fleeing. Running, looking over her shoulder at the head chasing her. She had truly gone through the looking glass. Was there any way back? The flying cloud-head was closing on her, screaming still. Then suddenly the door slammed open in front of her. Penny had no time to stop, and smashed right into it, knocking herself out.


	3. Chapter 3: Magic and admissions

Chapter 3: Magic and Admissions

It was during the recess of the Quidditch gam that Hagrid had found what he called a 'strange thing' near his cabin and summoned a fellow staff member to look. The thing had turned out to be a car. A muggle invention meant for transportation. It was just, parked there. The owner was nowhere in sight, of course this mean someone had just driven into Hogwarts premises and parked their car, gotten out and who knows what. It was this that prompted a search. Starting with the grounds, all professors, except one who was a referee at the game, participated. Grounds were cleared quickly, leaving just the castle left as an option. They had met Peter on the way out who claimed to have passed a girl who he said 'dressed a bit like Lily and called herself Paisley', which simply had to be the intruder, so they had hurried inside. Peter had told them that this girl, Paisley, had claimed she forgotten something on the 8th floor, and seemed to be heading up the stairs, looking a bit scared. So Fabian and Gideon Prewett had run up the stairs, with Peter and Lily right on their heels. Fabian had heard a girl scream and headed right into the 7th floor hallway. He had opened the door and run in, and what he saw was a brunette heading right ahead, running from what seemed like a horrid nightmare of a ghostly head. It was making a strange noise. Gideon, flung the door open.

"Watch out…!"

Too late, she smacked right into it and fell to the floor. Fabian pulled his wand and tried to stupefy what was coming against them. Gideon shouted protego. Sure enough that seemed to have stopped it. Upon hitting the golden shield of protego, it disappeared and crumbled away in a wooosh. As if it had never been there in the first place.

"What is that?" Peter had pointed straight down the hall to a half open door. Gideon seemed antsy, but decided to research this. He had been a student at Hogwarts, and couldn't recall that room. Then again, Hogwarts was huge. But it had to be the room the intruder, Paisley, had been inside. Possibly smuggling something into Hogwarts. The room seemed to be filled with various quidditch momentums, but on the middle of the floor was a dagger, and what looked like a locket with a dagger through it. A bleeding locket. This could not be a good thing. Even in the world of magic, it wasn't normal for objects to bleed. Picking both up, he took a deep breath. A bad feeling was washing over him about this.

Penny felt a throbbing pain in her head. Mainly a headache and her cheek. Like she had hit a wall. Slowly she was coming to, and she heard voices. People whispering around her, she couldn't quite pick up what they were saying. Just occasional words. Someone calling her Paisley. Why was someone calling her that? Letting out a weak murmur she felt someone shake her. Talking to her. Eyes shut up wide and she looked right at a blurry face and stranger. It scared her, yelping loudly, her first found his face in seconds. Then she crawled backwards, scrunching the mattress up as she kicked her legs to get further back. Her body ending up hugging the cold metal bedhead while she looked around. Their faces and figures coming into view. From the red hair in the blurr she had thought it might have been one of her brothers, but no, complete strangers all of them. Except the blonde one, she had met him. Then the disappointment sunk in. She was still there. She wasn't home. Her shoulder sunk in despair. Why wasn't she home? She had finished the quest of the dream. So if it hadn't been a bad dream, then, no matter how unlikely it was, it had to be reality. Then she noticed the way they were looking at her, which didn't really reassure her in any way. It was curiosity, hostility and surprise all wrapped into one. The redhead she had punched had his hand on his cheek and she just put a hand to her own face for a second.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to punch you, I was just scared" she explained.

"I had worse" he said in a half-hearted tone of voice. He had a rather, remarkable nose. A bit too big for his face really.

"I thought you were my brother, I just saw ginger hair and thought he was trying to prank me" she murmured. It was odd, but he actually gave her half a smile at that explanation. Then the room fell silent again, the seconds felt ages long, until a nurse entered the room. Dressed very much as the start of the century type of nurse. Very Victorian garb. Her hair was up in a matching tight bun and she shooed them out

"Dumbledore wishes to speak to her, is…ah you're awake grand! Please fetch Dumbledore, he is outside the door chatting with Professor Slughorn" she asked one of the guys "and I will have a look at that Fabian, I told you to not lean over her when she woke up." Penny blinked quietly, Dumbledore, Slughorn? Were those real names? Shooing one after the other outside, even Peter who insisted on staying for security reasons. Penelope slid back down into the bed, feeling a bit dizzy. It was first then she noticed her nose was tender, putting a hand there she almost crossed her eyes to peer down her own nose. It had bandaid and tape on it.

"You broke your nose dearie, try not to tinker with it. Hands off" she waggled a finger at her. "I just need to quickly check that you didn't get a concussion ok?" Penny nodded and the nurse stepped closer and started to check her eyes, making her gaze follow her fingers and so on and so on. Luckily for her within 5 minutes concluded she didn't have one and was safe to have visitors.

In came a man in a silk navy type robe, with long white hair and even longer white beard. He reminded her of how many storybooks portrayed merlin. Of thin build and with half-moon glasses gracing his nose. Bright blue eyes twinkling ever so carefully at her when he smiled. He seemed, quite nice from first impressions alone. He didn't have to say anything, and she knew he was a good guy. Beside him was a short, very plump man. He was if possible, shorter than her, but very well dressed. In attire she hadn't seen since the last Sherlock movie on BBC. She really had gone through the looking-glass, and there was no way back it either.

"Good day Paisley, I am Albus Dumbledore. Do you know where you are?"

Penny shook her head. "No Sir, I do not."

"Just call me Albus, or Dumbledore, either is fine really." He said and started to gesticulate a bit with his hands as he spoke. "Is it your fantastic car that is parked by Hagrid's Hut…"

She didn't know what Hagrid's hut was, it might have been that shack.

"Yes that would be mine. I am quite sorry for intruding, I did knock at the door at the hut but no one responded so I entered the castle". Putting her hands in front of her, fidgeting she looked very apologetic.

Already it was clear to Albus and Horace that they weren't dealing with a fierce death eater or a dark magician. They hadn't found a wand near her, on her, or in her belongings. Her bag, her body, or her car. In fact everything found, implied she was a muggle. The way she behaved seemed to emphasise this, she seemed mostly upset, but she had to explain things yet.

"Perhaps you could explain to me how you got here.."

"Truth be told I don't even know. The only answer that would be magic, and that doesn't…exist" the last part of the answered lingered. "But whenever you eliminated the likely option, the unlikely option, and the impossible option, then whatever is left, must be the explanation…..Sherlock Holmes, sort of"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he saw the young woman struggle with her own brain. Trying to work out what was going on, not even knowing that this place was indeed, magic that she didn't think even existed.

"Well, Madam Pomfrey, can you please fetch some chocolate frogs and tea for us?" he'd ask, and the nurse woman, huffed before rushing out a door. Penny could hear it slam.

"Lemon Sherbert?" The old man offered. Penny smiled at him

"I love those, thank you" she said and took one from the paper bag he was holding out to her.

"Oh you do! See Slughorn, I keep telling you, you ought to try them one of these days" The rotund man huffed and patted his stomach.

"A man does not get my bodyshape from eating salads Dumbledore!" Penny giggled. The atmosphere had been instantly relaxed.

"Tell me from the very beginning what lead to you ending up here, and doing what you did" Dumbledore gave her a serious look, and Penny looked up at him then to Slughorn whom picked up the locket, it was still ruined. Traces of the strange black liquid still present, but it was in a see-through baggie.

"Well, there is no sense in lying, since I couldn't make this up even if I tried. Stephen Hallock, Hollock, Hadlock? Showed up at my door, asking to borrow my notes for our home assignment. I told him sure, and he pulled me outside to talk in the car. I thought maybe he wanted to talk about something private, so didn't think much of it. Once we got inside he said that his sister, Sarah, had lost a necklace in my car some time ago. This made sense, because I did find a necklace in my car with an S on it, like 6 months ago or so. So I told him, I had it, and that I'd go get it from the front of my car. Cause that is where the luggage compartment is on a beetle, and he just jumped out of the car. Then he said. It is a horkrus, and to destroy it if I could. I was like what? He had left his keys there, so I grabbed them and then, next I knew I was in the forest out there."

As she ended the story, it wasn't incredibly detailed, but it sounded like a guy in her class had set her in a very dangerous situation.

"Do you know what a horcrux is?" Slughorn asked

"No…but from what happened in there, I am going to say it is bad, and I want nothing to do with it."

Dumbledore thanked Pomfrey who returned with tea and some small snacks. Penny didn't touch them but Slughorn helped himself to a cup and a biscuit.

"Just out of curiosity, how did you find that necklace."

Penny pulled some hair behind her hair and her eyes lifted to the ceiling for a second as she tried to recall.

"That's a funny story, because, I don't really remember. I was on my way home from London after a song event I had been part of, and stopped for gas. I must have fallen asleep in the car or something afterwards, cause I woke up later. Drove home, and when emptying my purse, I found it there in the bottom of it."

Dumbledore simply blinked, although she noticed that twinkle in his eyes yet. Quite strongly. Although she was a bit uneasy, all she wanted to do was to go home. The honesty in this was far-fetched, but she was too tired to lie.

"I just want to go home. My parents must be worried sick by now. I don't know how long I been gone. Please…?"

Dumbledore threw a glance to Slughorn, who looked back to him, they shared a nod before they looked back to her.

"We have to talk to you about a few things. Some things that may seem quite frightening, but relates to the topic we first started this conversation with. You are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Magic does very much exist" Penny's brows knitted together and looked at them both like they had grown a giraffe out of their chest.

"Here, allow me to prove it young Lady" Slughorn put down his tea and biscuit, pulled up a handkerchief from his front pocket, and in a dapper manner patted his lips and moustache. Then he whipped out a polished stick from underneath his jacket. Most men in movies kept their guns at that spot. Penny tilted her head as he held out the handkerchief, and murmured some words she didn't quite catch. Then with a flick, a golden light, the handkerchief, before her very eyes, transformed bit by bit into a small little bird. Penny could do nothing but stare, and her face paled. Like blood was draining from her.

"Don't be scared young lady, you seem to be paling. Are you feeling unwell?"

Penny wanted to do something but, only managed to stutter out a. "Don't know" before wrapping her arms around herself. Dumbledore sighed as he sat down on the side of the bed and looked at her.

"There is much to explain but, what it comes down to is one thing. Muggles cannot see Hogwarts. Wizards and witches can. However you are obviously neither. Which leaves one option open. That you perhaps, might be a squib." Those strikingly blue eyes belonging to Penny struck back with a strong look to them. That she wasn't comfortable with subject she perceived as nonsense was obvious.

"I am not a firework….? What is a muggle?"

"A muggle is a non-magical person, but as you can see Hogwarts, and magic, this makes you at least a squib."

Penny shook her head.

"I have no idea what you're on about, please; I just want to go home." she pleaded with him.

"We are not done yet, I have a few more questions of you. Why did you do as Stephen asked?"

Penny glanced to Slughorn who was now distracted enough for the bird to fly away, his brow jumped up on his forehead and he tried to wave his arm around to catch it.

"I…honestly didn't even know if I was awake or dreaming. I thought if I did as he said, I'd be heading home again. Either by waking up, or by the same way I came there. Somehow. It made sense at the time, plus I was so mad at him that I wanted his sister to get infuriated at him". Penny almost pouted, she felt like such a child, pleading to go home. Not that she knew the way.

"Lastly I will have to ask to have a look at your memories…"

"Wait? What!? How will you even look at my memories…"

Dumbledore pulled a wand out of the sleeve of his robe and smiled kindly. "Magic", he answered. Penny sighed.

"Can I go home afterwards, maybe get a phonecall?"

"Of course. Although I will warn you, it may be a bit shocking or cause you some strain…"

Penny pressed her lips together but nodded.

"Sure go for it, not like it can get any stranger already…."

"I want you to think of that day you were on your way home from London, that day you 'fell asleep'" he stated softly and sat right next to her now. Penny, nodded, and thoughts drifted back to that strange day.

"You know, that day felt really uncanny it …."

"Legillimens…" was the next word she heard and what was next was strange and bizarre. It was like she was observing Dumble dore as a third person. He was flicking through pictures of her memories like they were the pages of a book. Of course the memories he was going through was the ones of that day. Until he found the one that seemed, different.

"Ah..Locked away I see, a decent job as well from the looks of it…hm…yes.." he kept muttering before throwing a few words around. Waving that stick. Then it opened, and engulfed him, wrapping him into the memory itself.

Dumbledore saw 'Paisley' paying for the items she bought, putting down into her bag. There was something strange about how she looked out the window. There seemed to be nothing of interest there at all. Just the end of a cliff. Albus followed her outside, she seemed torn between the car and the cliff, but for some reason continued towards it. She looked to the side and found a stair to go down. What called her so to a place like that? Yet he followed. This was an odd thing to forget, so far it was rather uneventful. Uneventful until they reached a small beach at the bottom of the long staircase. Sounds could be heard from nearby, moans, and shouts. Like someone was in pain or struggling. Not just one, but several. Paisley braved the ocean and fear, climbed onto the side and scooted over to be able to climb into a small cave nearby. Picking out something from her bag, the very same she was carrying still, she turned it on. Fascinating, the muggles had a way to make light. What came next was something of horror. Dumbledore knew exactly what those were; inferi. The girl was shining her flashlight at those wretched creatures. The terror in her face was evident; it was what happened next that was extraordinary. The flashlight moved around and hit a group of them further into the cave that was holding onto a person. Briefly Dumbledore also saw what appeared to be a house-elf. The light seemed to be enough to make them loosen their grip so that they could escape. And sure enough, seconds later he crashed right into penny, and 'pop', it said, and they found themselves somewhere in a forest. The young man was a face he recognized. Dumbledore's eyes sparkled in a conflict of joy and surprise. Regulus Black. Sirius Black's brother. A small talk happened between the two, which was merely some words from him before he stupefied her, and put the locket into her purse. He had rummaged through her purse written down her name and information from the license before taking her back to the car. It was dark and desolate, so no one had batted an eyelid. Perhaps assumed she was drunk even. It was then she was pulled to consciousness. Not seeing Regulus run off into some bushes not far away.

Penny's face was by now pale, those horrible creatures. Those zombie-like things, their faces were etched in her memory. The young man she could barely remember. Just that he had black hair and pale skin. Her hands was covering her mouth, viewing the two in fear.

"That, actually explains more than you think, Penelope…."

"how did you…"

Dumbledore tapped his head with a sly smile, and Penny offered half a smirk.

"Sorry for being rude, I am just, scared…"

"I think we covered enough for today, perhaps you ought to get some rest, and we will have someone contact your parents. You'll be home by tomorrow night" he said re-assuringly. Penny glanced to Slughorn whom also seemed to be as supportive to this. Penelope didn't know if she believed them, but what option did she have. Her car had died on her, it was probably still outside somewhere. The people, so far, were kind to her, and far less scary than the zombie-like things and the unexplainable happenings, that just kept happening.

"We will ready a place for you to stay overnight" Slughorn said and cleared his throat.

Lily had been leaning against the wall in the hallway outside the hospital wing. She was wondering how long it would take when they finally exited. The girl was not how you expected an intruder to look. She was of average height and build, with long brown hair and almost sickly pale skin. Wearing a pair of washed-out jeans with a torn knee, and a white knitted sweater that was too big for her, made her look like every other muggle girl she knew. The typical girl next door. Not the type of girl you'd notice in a crowded room. Penny rubbed her nose for a bit, fidgeting with the bandaid, pressing it down on the skin again.

"Lily, this is Penelope, she is staying here overnight." Dumbledore said, putting his hands on the girl's shoulders shortly.

"Pardon me, but where is the loo, I really have to pee" the girl suddenly said, looking at them both sheepishly as she spoke.

"Just around the corner, it is marked with a witch sign". Penny stared at them a bit deadpanned and nodded. Then turned the corner.

Slughorn let out a sigh and looked to Dumbledore. Lily was curious.

"So, she's harmless right? She looked, pretty normal…" Lily shrugged her shoulders and didn't ask until the girl had disappeared from view.

"Seems that way. " Slughorn said and cleared his throat.

"Indeed, the story she told was an honest story, she had even had a memory locked away that we found. Which explains more than I think, she, would ever understand and know. This leads us to a different subject. That will be brought up in a meeting tomorrow." He said, sounding quite serious. Regulus Black had found a horcrux in that place, and probably knew to whom it belonged. They needed to know. They were also now, concerned about Regulus safety, as well as the girl. She had been sitting on the locket for quite some time. That he had left a horcrux with a muggle was both risky, and a bit genius at the same time. Not even deatheaters would think of looking there. What prompted Regulus to suddenly send her right into the Forbidden Forest, was a mystery, and might have dire consequences for her and her family.

Penny returned soon after. The mark on the door had indeed been a witch marking. That had amused her, just a bit.

"Ah, there you are, could we have your parents' names and address so we can get in touch with them?"

Penny looked a bit nervous but answered nonetheless.

"Evelyn and Faergheas Gosling, at 16th Lovelace Street, Worcester. Shall I write it down somewhere?" She pulled her bag off her shoulder, and before they could answer she had pulled out a notepad and pen, jotting it down for them. Ripping the note off, before handing it to Dumbledore, who thanked her.

"Now, go with Lily, she will show you to where you will be staying overnight." Dumbledore shooed the two girls in a fatherly fashion, making Lily laugh, she then clutched Penny's arm and pulled her along.


	4. Chapter 4: Going through the rabbit-hole

Chapter 4

Lily was nice. A muggle-born witch according to herself. Penny still felt defeated and lost. So when Lily told her she was going to sleep on the couch in the room the redhead was using for the week, she just tried to not feel awkward about it. Penny wasn't used to sharing her space. The redhead, Lily, a very beautiful and kind woman from what Penny could discern had been in and out of the room to fetch a comforter and pillows, also a few clothing items.

"Do you have any other clothing than that?"

"No…afraid not, they kind of reek don't they." Penny said and pulled at the white knit sweater.

The room was cosy, but small. It had two rooms, one bedroom which was Lily's for the week. Then a couch that might fit Penny, she was just short enough. So with a bit of good positioning and will she would sleep there. It probably wouldn't take much, she was lethargic, and aching. Sitting down on the couch she found it nice and soft.

"Are you feeling ok?" Lily asked as she threw a pillow at Penny. It hit her in the head and a few feathers puffed out of it. Penny grabbed it and smirked.

"Everyone seems rather concerned, I am fine really. Just wondering if my nose broke or not. It sort of feels like it did but I didn't get to ask that kind nurse." Penny said and tried to touch her nose again.

"I am not sure, they said you hit the door pretty hard, so could be so, but it looks normal. I think." Penny shook her head and let out an amused hah, at that. There was nothing to do but to take it with a light heart, and hope that everything was better in the morning.

"So tell me a bit about yourself. What do you do?" Lily said and placed some clothing down on the table in front of her.

"Nothing much to tell, I study, and work mostly. You? Hope to one day become a microbiologist." That seem to pique Lily's interest, turning to her with a brow lifted.

"Really?! That's pretty awesome." Lily was in fact delighted to meet another woman who wasn't going the traditional route. Not nursing, not teacher, not the typical carer and nurturer career moves. "What inspired you?"

"My mother, she's a chemist, pretty darn smart too." Penny paused for a bit "What about your parents? I mean, you said muggle-born, that means they're not magical right". Lily nodded. And explained to her that sometimes it happened, and no one was really sure why.

Penny didn't sleep much that night. Most of the time she spent staring up at the ceiling. The couch was comfortable, the comforter was lovely and warm, and the pillow was almost perfect. The only thing that wasn't comfortable with everything was Penny. In the end she barely got in a couple of hours before Lily woke her up.

"Penny, Professor Button wishes to borrow your car in today's muggle-studies classes, can he?" Penny tumbled out of the sofa, hugging thecomforter to her chest. Still dressed in pyjamas and with hair to every direction she looked up at Evans and a man with light brown hair in his thirties, with a much twirled moustache peeking into the room.

"Sure, as long as he doesn't break it, that's fine with me, I just need it back tonight when I am heading home" she answered, and tried to get back on her feet, stumbing backwards and landing once more on the sofa.

"What ungodly hour is this" she muttered.

"It is 8 am, come on, let's get you up. There are some clean clothing from the 'Lost and Forgotten' box in Hogwarts, I THINK they are your size, not sure though, if not you can borrow from me". Penny grabbed the clothing from the table and found herself pushed into the bathroom. Where she slowly prepared for the coming day.

Lily was chatty, and friendly. Penny quite liked her; it was a pity that she'd only know the girl for one day. A part of her worried her memory would be gone. Erased and locked away, like what had happened with those missing hours, which turned out to not be missing at all. Yet she wished she didn't remember them, those zombies would haunt her for a time to come. Simply disturbing.

"Go grab some food from the table, I just have to find Peter real quick, I'll be back in a jiff!" Lily said, and seemed to rush off with a few papers in her hand. Penny looked around; she assumed this wasn't where the students ate. She had seen several on her way there. All of them were in uniform; all had different coloured ties and badges. In a way it was sort of neat. In the end all she could muster was some toast with jam, a glass of milk and an apple. There were no chairs for some reason, and in her search or a place to sit she walked out a door, leading to a hallway. Great. There was nothing but endless hallways in that place. How the students managed to find their way around that castle was beyond her. Shaking her head she just headed for a door, but stopped when across the hall, she heard a familiar voice. Mom? Silently she stepped over and stood by the half open door and listened intently.

Early that very morning Margaret Ismelda Merryweather had gotten an owl from her son Feargheas. Although they were in regular contact with each other, the content of this letter was something entirely different than the normal small talk they would have over owls. A subject seldom brought up because her son knew how much she disliked the subject. Her grand-daughter, the squib, had somehow gotten herself into the Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry with the help of her car. The details were severely lacking, and Gus and his wife, Evelyn were facing difficulties getting there thanks to the ministry and the department of transportation. Normally she'd say that his children were his responsibility, but the situation seemed quite sensitive and the quicker it was dealt with the better. So she had grabbed her hat, her umbrella, and other necesseties a woman like herself could not go without, and used floo powder from a nearby tailor to get to Hog's Head at Hogsmeade. Greeting Aberforth whom was behind the counter , cleaning with that raggy cloth.

Soon enough she found herself standing on the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The very same place she had once gone to school. It brought back a lot of fond memories for her. Letting herself take the time to enjoy a few fond memories from her youth. Her first kiss behind some snowclad trees after the Yuleball in her 5th year. Ismelda continued, finding Dumbledore right where he said he'd be.

"Ah, Mr. Dumbledore, delightful to see you again!"

"Mrs. Merryweather, how have things been?" he called out "although I was expecting someone else…" the old sharp wit of his was trying to piece a few things together.

"I am here on behalf of my son, the Ministry have forbidden travels for a week or so between the muggle world and here, so I'm here to pick her up and she will stay with me for now…"

Dumbledore knew that woman. A though old cookie, with a sharp tongue and brain. With an almost regal way of walking, truly, a lady of her era, she would nod to Dumbledore.

"She is here surely? With her karr?"

"Car" Dumbledore corrected swiftly. "Yes she is, do not worry. I would like to ask you some questions however, regarding her family?" This seemed to sour the woman, like most witches, prying into the unwanted parts of family business was a no no. Whilst all the good things were flaunted about. Being the gentleman he was he offered up his arm, which she took, and escorted her to a room not far from the kitchens and Great Hall.

It was this room Penny was standing outside. That voice she recognized as her grandmother's. A woman she almost never saw, just the holidays. Curiously the young girl peeked in to keep a better track of the conversation. Inside the two sat on each side of a coffee table. Her grandmother sat comfortably in the sofa and Dumbledore in a large Victorian wingback chair. Normally Maggie, her grandmother, would be wearing the most outlandish attires when she visited. Poorly matched colours, strange items. Once she had showed up on their doorstep wearing floaters around her arms. The woman she was observing now was familiar, but at the same time, very different. She had a blouse on with large frills in the front. A highwaisted long Victorian skirt. Her hair was in a large poufy bun on her head. The cuffs of her blouse sat tightly all the way up to mid-elbow. It was rather more suiting to how she always acted. Like a proper lady. Then the conversation dawned on her.

"So, what is it that you wish to know ?" Margaret picked up a dainty cup of tea, one pinkie finger sticking out to the side when she was sipping from it.

"Is your granddaughter a squib?"

"Oh yes, _THAT_. She is yes. " Margaret dabbed her lips with a napkin and placed it in her lap before she took one of the biscuits from the lovely platter on the table.

"They were both quite devastated when this fact dawned on them. It started as a fear when she had shown absolutely not magical abilities by the age of 7. At the very same time my son was offered a position in the ministry, in the department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. They needed someone to be in the muggle world, for well, you know these reason Albus. Some irresponsible little twerp of a wizard throws some magic about and we all end up in trouble. "

"Ah yes, quite so, your son, Faergheas did have a knack for getting people to trust him easily. Quite talented with charms and spells to if my memory serves me right" Dumbledore pulled out a brown paper bag from a pocket "Lemon Sherbert"

"Still is" Margaret pointed out in a stern voice. "Thank you" picking a hard-candy up from the bag in a dainty fashion. She held it between her index finger and thumb before placing it on cup plate.

"As the years passed, she still didn't show any magical abilities, so they decided to permanently stay in the muggle world, and not say a word about magic to her. I was against this of course. We had quite a falling out over this. I am not sure how they managed because I all of their sons did turn out to be wizards."

"So there has been nothing notable at all?"

"I can only speak for what I been told Mr. Dumbledore, as well for what I seen, which isn't much. I will point out however, there has never been any ministry people to their house, or contacted them about illicit use of magic. So I highly doubt it. Why are you so curious about this subject, I answered the same question 3 times now it seems"

Dumbledore knew she'd notice this, so he put his hands calmly to his sides.

"Well, like anyone entering the grounds illegally, we did some investigation. By doing this we found a memory locked away, luckily the person who obliviated her wasn't too talented with locking away the memory and I was able to look into it further. Some of her behaviour in that recollection, was, a bit odd." Margaret seemed to tense and get a look of curiosity on her face.

"Oh, how so? I am not quite certain what you mean?"

"She appeared to be dr…."

"Penny I found some chairs for us!" Penny cringed. She was busted. Turning she gave Lily a look of, I am screwed, before she heard Dumbledore call on her.

"Penelope, you can come on inside…" The door creaked and in the doorway stood a young woman Margraet recognized. Beside her stood a redhead. Margaret remained tense, clutching tighter to her cup. Penny always had the sense that her grandmother had detested her for some reason or another. Being a squib, and non-magical might actually be the reason. There was plenty of confusion in her right now, and the question as followed from her grandmother took her aback and surprise.

"Tell Dumbledore why you were acting so strange?!" she chirped firmly. Lily seemed to react a bit on how it was said, but Penny just pressed her lips together and took a firmer grip around her plate of food. Her knuckles turning white as she pressed.  
"When?"

"When!? Do not play foolish with me young lady, he said it was in a memory he just unlocked in your head. You're not dim. A squib perhaps, but you're not a fool!" she said sharply "so do not act like one. Be honest with Mr. Dumbledore."

"A dream" was the next two words that came from her lips. A dream. No one spoke after that. It was a bad answer perhaps, but it had been the honest one.

"A dream?!" Margaret was covering her lips with her napkin again, coughing a bit before Penny noticed her look of complete shock and surprise.

"Yeah, I know it sounds strange, but it was. I have those…sometimes…"she added, which didn't sound any more confident than her first explanation or statement.

"How often is 'sometimes'?" Lily asked.

"Just on random really, every now and then." Penny explained, trying to pull the sleeves of her sweater further down. It was at least 2 sizes too small, but she hadn't complained about it. Tugging at the bottom of it, she felt the judgemental stares landing on her. They probably weren't as much as she thought they were, but she knew it sounded bizarre, and it was.

"Could you perhaps describe the dream that lead you there?" Dumbledore requested, he had been taken aghast by her statement of dreams. It was a subject, that even in the magic world was mostly regarded as complete hooey . Seers were rare, good ones even more so.

"Well" Penny rubbed her arm nervously, but Lily nudged her and encouraged her to continue. Margaret Merryweather seemed openly perturbed about it all and simply clutched on harder to her cup of tea. "The dream started on a mucky road somewhere. It was an orphanage there. It was an old shabby sort of place. The building was made of brick. You could see some of the kids playing in a small scruffy yard which was mainly covered by an old tatty wooden fence. You know that tall sort that doesn't let you to look into the yard easily? There was a sign too there, on the wall, it started on a W, I didn't quite catch the entire name cause I started walking. I saw a young man down the road; he was walking away with a younger child. Dark hair, dark eyes, handsome face, classically handsome. The kid is much younger than him, maybe 10? They are dressed in an old fashioned way. Tweed pants and shirt? The look they had in the 1940's perhaps? The kid had one of those six-pence caps too. "Penny halted for a bit and sighed, the same feelings, that feeling of impending doom she had originally felt when she had the dream washed over her again. But on an encouraging prompt from Dumbledore she continued. "They're walking down this stretch of road, and it isn't in the city. It is kinda quiet. It is there I see the cliffs, and they are heading towards them. A snake is slithering in the grass nearby. I thought it was gonna bite them. The kid seemed a bit scared off it but the older seemed to calm him down before taking him to that feeble long stairs that lead down the side of the cliffs….there it ended. But that feeling that came in the silence there, I don't think the child lived…"

Dumbledore had heard of this, or read. He had certainly heard of it in his recent research of seers which he did when hiring a new Divinations Professor. Sybill Trelawney, a rather young, but talented woman. The Trelawney's were already well known in the world of divination, and had at least one previous well known and accurate seer. There was precognition, which pertained to seeing and predicting the future. There were several subcategories of this as well. Then there was a much smaller chapter, of something harder to prove or believe in, which was retrocognition. The ability to see something that occurred in the past, it was hard to prove, since one never knew what the other really knew. They could have obtained the information in some way or another, before laying claim to seeing the past. Both Margaret and himself, found themselves confounded at what she had just blurted out. Maragaret would be the first to break the silence.

"Such silly dreams! You don't take them seriously do you? Coincidence I am certain"

Penny's heart sank to her stomach, before she blurted out the next statement.

"Well they feel real!" she insisted, seeming quite insulted. It dawned on him that, she was not making this up. She had been openly honest and gotten a slap on the wrist for being truthful. The look on the young woman's face clearly spelled that she had taken some offense at what Margaret had said. Margaret rose from the sofa, quickly brushing her skirt out before yanking her wand from her belt.

"And we are not leaving with you dressed like that!" she continued. Margaret had flicked her wand, and Penny found herself trying to cover herself with her hands. A part of her was gravely concerned she'd end up naked, this was hardly the case. The clothing had changed appearance with the magic from her grandmother. She turned them into a knee long wide skirt and a simple all covering blouse, luckily the stockings were still the same along with the shoes.

"Much better! Can't have you looking like a simple muggle in these times…." She sighed with a sadness lingering in her voice while her hand rested in front of her, still holding that stick. Magic stick. A wand? "Come along, we have no time to waste, your parents are very concerned about you Penelope". The brash manner of her grandmother was nothing new to her, but it all seemed so absurd, her own grandmother pulling some strange magic on her clothing before pulling her along out the door by the arm.

"Shouldn't we at least…talk to..

"No we shouldn't!" her grandmother insisted as they kept on going down the hall, past some whispering paintings and inanimate medieval armours. Dumbledore hadn't stopped them, no one had, and before she knew it they were heading down a long and winding road towards what looked like a small village further down. They didn't really speak as they wandered down the road to the village. Neither had much to say, Penelope was a bit frightened by it all and her grandmother had never been of the talkative sort. Nor was she a very consoling type of person, which made it even harder for her to try to connect with her grandmother. When they finally made it to the village, they didn't even stop to catch a breath, no it was right into an old tavern with the words Hog's Head on a signpost outside. It looked rather like a brown pub on the inside with a Tudor build. Kegs and photos lined the wall along with brooms, and posters of people riding brooms in colourful outfits. Margaret briefly greeted an old bearded man behind the counter, who in turn grunted in response. Finally they stopped by a fireplace, Margaret grabbed a fireplace-poker and started to stir the fire a bit, making it flame up again from the embers. Penny had more than a hundred questions running through her head, but before she had the time to ask or even chirp up her first thought and query Margaret had grabbed some green powder from a box on the top of the fire-place, taken Penny's hand and thrown the floo-powder into the fire, and pulled her into a jump. It was like falling through a tunnel at first, passing other fireplaces as they fell. Margaret seemed unconcerned and determined, looking at every passing fireplace until she found one and the two of them lunged into a small neat fireplace decorated in random trinkets and porcelain knick-knacks.

Margaret brushed some green powder and ashes off her skirt after Penny had stumbled out of the fireplace utterly flummoxed. In fact her stomach was knotting and turning in odd movements she wasn't sure it was supposed to, that had been, something. Not able to put words to the experience aside surprising and at the same time, peculiar and it made her feel sea-sick.

"Ah Mrs. Merryweather! How delightful to see you. Came to pick up your new summer-hat?" a woman chirped. She sounded delighted.

"Why yes, amongst other things. Penelope stay right here, I will be out in a minute. Don't touch anything!" Margaret berated as she followed the dark-skinned woman to a counter, then in behind it. They were chatting in a quite bright manner about hats. Was she really going to end up shopping with her grandmother in some place she didn't know, a magical place? The thought ignited a spark of childish fascination she hadn't felt for years. A door nearby was ajar, leaving her a view she'd never forget. Inside the room was sewing kits flying around, measurement-bands, needles and thread. Flying round and about someone standing on a small step, whilst a pencil and notepad was flying in mid-air next to them, taking notes. The tailor herself seemed occupied talking and taking hand measurements of the client's arm.

"Right then! Thank you Helena for your time, the hat is simply marvellous. Just what I was looking for. The sun burns my skin so easily in summer when I tend to my greenery. Come now Penelope, we have somewhere important to get to…."

"huh..?"

That was the least intelligible response that she could give her finicky grandmother, but that was what she got. IN return Penelope got a stern stare that almost made her shudder. This was ending up to be quite an experience not just for the magical world, but this was the most time she had spent alone with her grandmother. It was nerve-wrecking. They continued to the south-side of the area. It was a massive shopping area, with shops and magical items everywhere. This was like the dream of a child coming to life, when the two walked beside eachother like they did; the stark contrast between the two became quite apparent. The stern, firm and quite classy grandmother, followed closely by her mousy and insecure grandchild who was eyeing the world with big eyes. The building was fairly tall, 3 floors high with big golden letters over the door which read: _Ollivanders, makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.  
_"Here we are, now let's not delay, chop chop!" the woman shooed her inside like she was herding sheep. Making sure her little lamb would stray anywhere dangerous like Knockturn alley or even worse.

Once they entered the shop it was filled to the brim with boxes and what looked to Penelope, like sticks. The display consisted of a singular red velvet cushion in the window with 3 sticks on it. Some others were hanging on a colourful string in a soft arc from each window. There was a thin layer of dust over every surface in the room. Clearly, this place was owned by a man.

"Mr. Ollivander!?" Margaret called out and within a second of she raising her voice they both heard a tumble, a cloud of dust emitting somewhere from the back and the sound of coughing become louder before a man came through the small wooden door. The man had white long hair that somehow defied gravity and was messed about on his head. His eyes were wide and almost illuminating, a pale silvery grey that penetrated deep, into your very soul when he stared at you.

"This is no first year" he said before starting to inspect her. Penelope was automatically creeped out, a well-grown man who didn't appear to have any notion about the idea of 'private sphere'.

"Why yes, I am here on a personal mission one can say." Margaret started to wave her hand as she spoke "They believe she is a squib, I personally believe she is not. Could you perhaps assist me, if we find a wand that works for her, of course I will purchase it."

Ollivander clapped his hands together in delight and pushed Penelope further into the room and dug up a measurement-band. It was floating freely in the air. Ollivander pulled her arm out and told her to spread her fingers apart so he could take measures of her hand. Which it did, without any other help than its own. A feather, quill was floating beside it taking the notes as Ollivander said the numbers. The parchment that thee quill had been writing on, suddenly shot into Olivanders hand before he jumped onto a ladder. Climbing up a shelf that was filled with boxes upon boxes upon boxes with wands. The first one he pulled out was a short blunt wand with a strangely shaped handle.

"Yes…I can sense it you see, there is something odd about you, somehow…try this! Holly 13 inch, unicorn hair. Give it a whip and flick." Before she knew it the wand was in her hands, looking to the two very expectant faces, she gave it a flick, then a wave. Nothing happened, so Ollivander himself yanked it out of her hands and whilst mumbling and muttering he went looking for another one. The next one he presented as Oak, 11'5 inch with a dragon heartstring core. Like last time nothing happened upon a simple flick and swish. Then another one, and another one, another one, another one! There was not much luck it seemed, although Ollivander did try to briefly reassure that it was normal to try quite a few before the wand found you. Insisting it was indeed the wand that chose its master and not the other way around, her grandmother said nothing about it so Penny had to only assume that even if it sounded a bit nutty, it was true. It did grow more and more discouraging by the minute, although no word was said, the look on her grandmother's face was turning into hidden frustration. The clenched jaw and tight hold of her purse gave it away, her knuckles were turning white from the tight grip she had of the straps.

"Nana, why are you thinking I am not a squib?" she asked, suddenly, she wanted to know.

Her grandmother scrunched her nose up, pressing her lips together before finally offering up an answer.

"A hunch. You always struck me as self-contained and introverted, what you said about those dreams made me realize that, they might have manifested in a way that could have gone undetected by the ministry, even your own family for years. If anything strange happened, you'd probably not tell them at all…Perhaps the first magical induced experience you had was after you came of the official wizarding age and no one said or did anything in the ministry because they thought it was too late."

This was true; Penelope had never told anyone about her dreams. Luckily they were few and far between and she hoped it stayed that way. Although with the growing doubt that they'd ever find her a wand Margaret almost seemed, sad. It was a rare thing to see in many ways. It was then Ollivander shouted he might have something in the back. Then a loud EUREKA was shouted from the back and back into the room, scampered Ollivander. Blowing a dust off a small coffer. It wasn't bigger than it could be held in both hands. Joyfully he put it down on the table.

"I think I almost forgot how odd I thought you were, I was thinking about the wrong wands! The wrong wood." He continued as he flicked the little latch open. Inside the box, laying neatly placed beside each other was 3 wands. All made from the same wood from the looks of it.

"You see Penny, if I may call you that, most wizards and witches use woods such as oak, hazel,mahogany and willow. All excellent woods if I may say so myself. But there are some woods that are more of the unusual sort. Although we just tried sycamore, lemonwood and pear, I think, no, _I know!_ That this is the wood for you. Cherry. They are quite unusual, yes, very unusual. Now, take your pick. Which one calls to you?" he asked and lifted the box up a bit towards her. Penelope stared at the wands, they were beautifully crafted. One had a long handle with a bit of a bend at the end of its hilt, with carvings of some vines crawling over the hilt and upwards. The second had elaborate ornamental work, it was graceful and looked fairly strong, and it reminded her for those fleur-de-lys adornments you'd find on certain wood-work or fabric patterns. The third wand had wines twirling around the end of the hilt and further onto the wand. Although it looked perhaps as a bit odd design to the wand, it certainly called to her. The ornament work was subtle and beautiful, not too much of a look. Without even thinking Penny reached for the 3rd wand and the moment she had it in her hand, a warm wind blustered through the shop and blew out every light that had been on, candle or otherwise. Penny felt her heart catch in her throat. That had been her? Had she done that?

"Indeed, I was right; you are an odd one, 13'5'' inch Cherry wood, with a very unique core. Phoenix feather. It is a difficult wand to master, but it has chosen you, so…" he rubbed his chin, for a moment thinking he had been wrong. "But perhaps with enough training and teaching. Your grandmother here is one of the few who has mastered charms the way she does, and your other one, what's her name…."

"Berthilda Eyre"

"Yes her, quite adapt in transfiguration, I think you'd be in great hands!"

"How do you know them..?"

"Ah my father sold them their first wands, they still have them, do you not Mrs. Merryweather"

Margaret smiled.

"Why of course! Such a nice wand it is as well, let me pay you Mr. Ollivander for your hard work and trouble."

Regulus had been waiting outside a shop for one of his friends and fellow death-eater. It was then he had spotted a familiar figure through a window nearby. Inside the Ollivander shop stood a brunette, oddly dressed but nonetheless he was certain it was her. When she had walked closer to the window there was no doubt in his mind. Mulciber and Snape would be done soon, but he felt the need to go check on her. To ask if it was done and over with.

"We need to head over to Pippin's Potions for some ingridents" Regulus snapped out of his lost mind and stared at Mulicber

"Oh right, of course., missing some ingredients?"

"Yes" Snape muttered in response "Boomslang skin..:" not an easy ingredient to get a hold of either, should they fail to find it at Pippin's they would have to head for the more dubious places in Knockturn Alley.

"You go on a head, I just remembered I need to fetch a few things while I'm here. I'll be right there…!" he assured them, and sure enough a grumpy Severus Snape and grouchy Mulciber started to head down the street to find Pippin's Potions. Regulus let out a sigh of relief once they were far enough away. Mulciber was dedicated, and almost a nutcase, Severus had an uncanny ability to know far too much for his own good and finding out of things. Although he regarded Snape in a kinder light than Mulciber, it was still a risk to take.

Regulus had waited outside for a good 5 minutes when they came outside. Although he didn't recognize the woman Penelope was with, he recognized Penelope. She almost blended in perfectly. Not looking like a witch, but her clothing was so run of the mill; there was not much to take notice off. As they moved, he followed suit and once they stopped outside Quinto Bookshop he drew a deep breath.

"Wait here while I go fetch a few items from the bookshop. Don't go anywhere and don't touch anything!" it was like ordering a dog to sit still. Penelope merely nodded and stood right outside the shop without saying much, holding on tight to a bag of hers. Regulus drew courage and approached her. Wondering if she could remember him. Once she lifted her gaze from her shoes and saw him, he knew she remembered. Someone had unlocked the memory he was sure of it, she recalled him, her eyes were as big as saucers.

"Penelope?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and a smile on her face to calm her. When he addressed her by her name it only seemed to push her away from him, making her take a couple of steps back to she hit the wall of the bookshop.

"Penelope" he said in a lower tone, trying to sound as kind as a fluffy little kitten. Penelope didn't seem to calm down one bit, so he walked up beside her and leaned against the wall next to her.

"Was it destroyed?" Regulus didn't dare to hope. Horcruxes could be cursed, hard to destroy; he had never encountered one before this. It was a thing of myth and legend, not something one just happened upon by chance. The brunette nodded, not saying a word and fidgeting idly with her white shirt, before she threw a question at him that he didn't expect.

"What did you do to Stephen to make him do your bidding?!" she spat out through gritted teeth.

"Nothing, nothing I…." Regulus felt taken aback by the sudden change in her. She had looked so quiet and meek, what he was seeing was a change in her, an abrupt one. "He did it because I asked him kindly" he lied. It was easier than explaining to a muggle that he had used a potion to borrow the man's looks for an hour or two.

"Are you certain that it is…. trashed?" he asked again.

"Very, I stabbed it with a bejewelled dagger at this castle I got to, something about pigs and warts. Now do you care to fill me in on what is going on….? I do not enjoy being someone's tool!" she sounded frustrated and annoyed, which was how she looked as well. Those distinct dark brows of hers had knitted together in a fashion which displayed clear irritation.

"I think we should about this over a drink, what if you meet me this ….?" he said. Penelope gave him a look of suspicion but sighed. How was she going to find that place? Regulus had it thought out as well, he knew where she lived, and he could easily get there again given time and opportunity.

Suddenly another voice lobbed in a comment, unsuitable and a bit of a mood killer. He had just managed to calm Penelope enough that he might be able to have a proper conversation with her. "Setting up a date are we? Hmmm?!"

"Yes, I am trying at least" Regulus stated, turning to see Mulciber standing there with his head cocked slightly to the right with an all too familiar smirk over his lips. The look in Regulus eyes as he turned to look at Penny was one she hadn't seen before, anxiety and fright was shimmering right underneath the surface.

"I'm Helena, delighted to meet you, you're his friends I presume?" she suddenly said. Regulus was taken by surprise that she was playing along with it and cleared his throat.

"Ah yes, sorry, that was very impolite of me, Helena, these are two friends, Severus and Mulciber." She extended her hand to shake politely, which they seemed reluctant to do, but eventually Severus did and Mulciber merely snorted. "Got an injury to my hand 'fraid" he commented and wiggled his hand a bit "A burn from a potion gone awry." Mulciber threw Snape a tetchy squint before looking back to her.

"It is not my fault that you're inept at stirring a potion" Severus drawled. For such a young man, hardly a few years older than her, he had a remarkably deep voice. What really made him stand out from the two others was the large hooked nose and pallid skin. "Ah I see, yes those can be quite nasty, nevermind then. You had it looked at right? Infection, side-effects …you know?" Mulciber grunted in response. Obviously not the talkative sort. Right then, much to everyone's luck, Mrs. Merryweather came back outside and gave her granddaughter quite a look, then looked to the young men with detest.

"What are you doing?" sickly sweet words dripped from her lips and she looked to Regulus, then to Penny.

"Oh, just catching up, met him last summer during a concert. Great….fun really."  
"Right then….no more time to waste, we have places to be and go!" Penny shrugged at them

"I guess I'll see you again later, bye!" then tailed after her grandmother, disappearing in the crowd.

"Bit ordinary looking isn't she Regulus?" Mulciber teased. "For a man of the Black family" Regulus frowned at him and corrected his jacket.

"You'd never understand Mulciber. She is a bright, clever girl with a great sense of humour."

"Sure, that's where it is at…."

Another snort came from Mulciber, whilst Snape seemed to stay in the background.


	5. Chapter 5: A new world & Death eaters

Chapter 5: A new world and death eaters!

Margaret had given her a room in her house. It was not as much a house as it was a small mansion. It looked quite old, made from stone and had several floors, even a small tower that barely stood above the rest of the house at the back. It overlooked a big forest at the back. Before the forest was a large garden filled with trees, greenery and various flora. The small tower was called the widow's watch, Margaret told her that was they called it, an name it had gotten in the olden days when women would stand and watch over the sea or fields to see if their husbands came back home. If they didn't and sometimes ships would capsize, they were widows.

Like everything else about the house, her room was old, but well kept. The stone walls had signs of wear and tear, it had been used before her time. Under a wide windowpane was her bed, it was a wide double-bed, meant for either a large person or two people to sleep in, it was of old carved wood.

"You will be staying here for the week, until your parents can pick you up. Meanwhile I suggest you make yourself comfortable. There are some wood you can use for the fireplace" gesturing to a small black wood-burning oven. "I will get some food for us both; there is much I need to explain to you over dinner."

This turned out to be true. The moment she had sat down for dinner, Margaret had barely let her grab her fork before she started to speak of the magical world. How it came to be that the two worlds were so separated. What magic was, and how she, Penny, was a witch just like her. It was dawning on her that this was quite extraordinary, and exciting. Very exciting for her. Always having been a person to cling to logic and explanations, she was finally faced with something that didn't seem as logical, didn't seem as rational. It was oddly refreshing. Then on the other hand, her entire life was there, in the so-called muggle world. School, friends, possibly love as well. Would she be able to give that up just like that for a magic world she knew nothing about? Should she even? Although she wanted the answer to be yes, realistically it wasn't doable. In the long run she'd have to think of what would be best for her. Education, a career, what she knew was certainly a much safer bet. Most witches knew magic before the age of eleven, and from the age eleven and onward they were taught. Penny hadn't been, until a few days ago something like this only happened in books.

The morning after, she was huddled under the comforter in her bed and didn't want to get up. It had been hard going to sleep. She had been torn in thoughts about everything her grandmother had told her. Not just about magic, how great it could be, it's potential and uses, but also those bad things she had mentions. Those had been mentioned briefly, the loathing on muggle-borns and squibs, the deatheaters that were growing stronger by the day, doing horrible deeds in the name of their Lord. A man they called Voldemort. It all sounded quite dark and dreadful to her. So frightful that she just wanted to go home, forget and pretend it had never happened.

"Penelope?" a strange voice was asking. It was deep and gruff with a distinct accent to it, belonging to a man. Penny couldn't recall her grandmother making mentioning of a man to her, knowing her grandfather had been dead for ten years at least due to heartfailure, she rolled over and found herself staring straight into the pale eyes of something she had never seen before. It was a small humanoid creature, with large bat-like ears that flopped a bit down and backwards. It had a large snout shaped nose that bent oddly and abruptly down in the front, as if it had been broken in the past. Penelope's eyes went wide and she was about to scream when the critter tried to hush her. Scrambling backwards in her bed she grabbed for the pillow and hit him with it. Feathers were flying everywhere. The small thing, it was much smaller than a normal human, coughed and flailed about.

"Kreacher is sorry he scared the missus! He is sorry!"

Clutching the broken pillow to her chest she stared at it as it held it arms over his head and face, then looked at her once she stopped.  
"Kreacher….?"

"The master told me to fetch you, he said he told you to meet him today…" he said and started to pick some feathers out of his clothing. It wasn't clothing, it was more an old sack someone dressed him in from the looks of it.

"Eh…? Who?"

"Regulus Black" Kreacher said and would narrow his creepy pale eyes at her. "You are Penelope yes?"

"Who is Regulus?" still hugging onto her pillow she was very creeped out by this. How had this thing even gotten into the house? What was he?

"Master said it was you in the cave….?"

Penny lowered the pillow slowly, placing it by the end of her feet. Tilting her head she tried to recall if she had seen him before, but she'd remember his face if she had seen it. Hard to mistake that creature, Kreacer, for anything else. It was that young man she had met yesterday. It had to be him. It had been him who was in the cave, him and those blasted zombie-people.

" Yes…" she answered "Now? I am not even dressed, and I need to leave my grandmother a note or tell her where I am going at least."

Going out to meet a stranger was not a bright idea, yet she felt compelled to do it. She wanted to know what was going on. She wanted an explanation why he took her memory. She wanted answers. It was only he whom could give them to her, how she had gotten entangled in all of this.

"Can Kreacher wait here?"

Penny blinked at hi, that was one of the strangest questions she had ever gotten fromanyone or anything.

"Sure, also, aren't you cold dressed like that?"

Kreacher shook his head and Penny carefully got up from her bed, in her nightgown, and wandered over the floor to a drawer that her grandmother had told her there was some clothing in. The clothing was old-fashioned. On the upside, there was clothing that would probably fit, on the downside, everything appeared to be from the 1930's or before. There wasn't any choice really; she'd just have to dress like her grandmother for a few days before heading back home.

* * *

Having left a note she, perhaps foolishly, left with the small Kreacher fellow. He had taken her hand and with a snap of his fingers, transported them somewhere else. Penny still felt almost sea-sick from doing that. It certainly had cut down on her intake of food. They had landed in the midst of some tall grass. Looking around there were no special markers hinting to where they were at. Holding on tightly to her handbag she squeezed it tightly, before she heard a door creak. Turning around she saw an old, abandoned house, and in the doorway stood the young man she had bumped into yesterday. It was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders when she saw him. Not able to quite explain that feeling, but she gave him a short smile, fingers still clutching around her bag.

"I hope he didn't scare you, I apologize for the sudden invite, but it was necessary" he stated. He was wearing the same clothing as he was the day before.

"I need to speak to you for a moment, before Kreacher takes you back home."

"If you don't mind I have, a few questions, just, you know, surrounding, the cave thing…and some that happened afterwards." she said and would step inside the old shack, with Regulus and Kreacher stayed outside to keep watch on Regulus orders. The inside of the house much reflected the outside, it was old and falling apart everywhere. Not a sort of place you'd expect to find someone like Penny, or a young man in a dishevelled suit.

"So" she started and sat down "You're Regulus, Penelope" she said and put her hand out to him, Regulus almost chuckled but put his hands in hers and shook it.

"I wanted to apologize for dragging you into this…" he started off, clearing his throat before continuing whilst a finger of his was idly trailing over the wood of the table in front of them. "I don't know if anyone told you, but the wizarding world is in turmoil, he-who-should-not-be-named is about to start a war, and I will admit, first I was on his side. I saw his ideology as something I identified with. His goals reflected on wanting less muggle-born involvement in our world as well as less wizards involvement in the muggle-world by wizards. At first that was what I thought he was about. It however turned out he was just hungry on power and quite delusional. Wishing to kil everyone who do not join him" he sounded pretty hurt by the end of that statement, Penny didn't know what to say.

"Does this mean you're a deatheater?" her grandmother had told her about those the night before.

"Technically yes, however, the locket I told you to destroy was one of his artifacts. A horcrux, they are some of the darkest magic out there. A horcrux is basically an item that carries a part of his soul. I suspect he has more, but I cannot be entirely certain of where and what they are. I will be trying to find them all to destroy them. I need to know what you destroyed that locket with…." Regulus slumped forward, almost seeming like he was tired and had given up on something.

"A bejewelled dagger I found in a room in Hogwarts. I don't know anything about it though." Penny explained and lowered her gaze to the table.

"I do remember where it was though, but they might have moved the dagger and everything, I don't know…" she let out a sigh and Regulus gave her half a smile.

"Well it is one down I suppose." It wasn't much comfort but it was some, at least he was on the right way. As for Penny, he had a request.

"I thought you were a muggle you know, but since you're here still that can't be the case." Penny shook her head.

"They called me a squib…." She shrugged her shoulders shortly and crossed her legs. Regulus nodded, that made sense to him.

"I was hoping you, perhaps could help me again sometime? If you do not want to, that is fine…" but he was in desperate need for some support somewhere, and there really was no one else. The order of the phoenix was the only alternative where there were no corrupt souls to his knowledge, the ministry was infiltrated as well. Sirius would see to that no one in the order believed him, not even Dumbledore. It was almost so bad he'd cry. The only ones he could trust fully was Kreacher, and a squib girl, Penelope, whom had followed his request although knowing nothing about anything.

"So why did you destroy the locket on my orders?"

"Honestly, I thought I had fallen, knocked my head and landed in a bizarre dream. That pr. Logic would end once the quest was done. Little did I know I was wrong" she sighed and placed her hand on her nose and bandaid. It was in need of a change probably. "Sounds silly I know, but I really thought I had gone mad"

Wiggling her feet as she spoke she felt like a little girl sitting in front of someone who was giving her a proper questioning for something bad she did.

"Do you think it was magical? The dagger I mean" Regulus seemed interested now, and would observe Penny as she tried to think.

"Well, that entire room was rather strange, it is possible I guess. It was about the length of your hand" pointing to his hands, he had long fingers. "It had blue gems in the hilt travelling in a circle, you know, I could probably draw it if I had something to draw with bu…" she opened her purse and just the sound of wood being smashed to pieces could be heard. They both turned to look and through the doorway to the hallway they saw splinters and pieces of wood flying was followed shortly by a scream, most likely Kreacher's.

"Oh my god, wasn't Kreacher out there" she whispered to Regulus who was getting paler by the second. Regulus grabbed a hold of her hand in a second and started to pull her towards the other door in the room. There was one backdoor, if they were quick they could stand a chance. He dragged her, and before they even got to the other room another loud crash could be heard. The shack would probably not handle much more of that. With quick steps they were getting close to the door that would hopefully be their rescue. Regulus had managed to reach out for the handle, it was just within grasp when the wall off the room was shattered and a man in a skull-mask and dark cloak flew through it and landed right on the counter of the room. Penny shrieked and stumbled in her own feet, falling over on the dusty floor. The deatheater was bleeding, quite a lot, a red stream of liquid was running from the head and down the counter and cabinet, forming a puddle on the floor. Seconds after they heard another speak. A looming figure in a black cloak and hood, with the mask of a skull pointed his wand towards Penny.

"Leave or the girl dies!" Penny gulped; the wand was inches from her face. Scraping her fingers over the surface of the wood floor she was shaking in fear, this might be it, she would die! Regulus had in turn pulled his wand, standing near the door pointing it at the death eater. Two men in cloaks entered the room with wands pointed towards the death-eater as well. It was a stand-off, with Penny's life as the price to be paid should it go wrong. Regulus' face had turned to a hard stone expression which showed his determination. The two men who entered she recognized as well. Gideon and Fabian.

"I swear by Merlin if you harm her, I will kill you!" Regulus snarled. He didn't even sound like the mellow young man she had spoken to just moments before.

"Well, well, well" the death-eater spoke in a raspy voice "Seems like we are at a cross-roads…hm?" The death-eater wiggled his wand lightly between his fingers. "Who dares to take the first step…." He looked to Fabian, then to Regulus. They were at two different sides, and Penny was right there on the floor.

Penny couldn't accept it. She didn't want to die. She had so much to do, places to be, people to tell she loved and adored. The wand was touching her skin by now. She had family! That loved her and missed her. She was not going to die in an old shack out in nowhere, by a pointy stick and a man in a mask from a horror movie! It was not going to happen.

"Avada…."the death eater said in a playful manner. Penny didn't know what that mean but from the looks on the others' faces it wasn't good.

If she was going to die right there, she was going down fighting. No ifs or buts about it. In a stupid move, with the wand to her nose, she suddenly grabbed the man's arm and shoved it away from her. Crouched up and throttled herself at him. Head first, right into his stomach and chest.

"Penelope!" One of them shouted, she didn't know which one, but the death-eater did stumble backwards. She wasn't a big girl, nor very strong, but she had gotten him by surprise which was her advantage. Her left hand was still holding onto his right wrist trying to keep the wand away from her. It was a struggle she'd eventually lose; he was far stronger than her. The death eater practically lifted her from the ground and slammed her right into the cabinets. Penny grunted and let out a scream, the knob on one of the doors had practically rammed into some nerves by the spine.

"Stupefy!"

Suddenly the deatheater froze up and Penelope was stuck in his grip. It was frightful experience and she was in pain.

"Are you alright?" Gideon asked and approached slowly, whilst Fabien seemed to apprehend Regulus. Fabian snatched Regulus wand from his hand and Regulus didn't seem as concerned about that as he was trying to keep an eye on Penelope, then he mouthed.

"Kreacher! Where is he!? Did you see him!?" a subtle undertone of panic was ringing in his voice. He tried to yank himself free from Fabian, but to little avail. Gideon managed to free Penny from the grip by moving the death eater from her, the other death eater was lying unmoving on the counter, the pool of blood had become quite big, it was not a great chance he was still alive.

"Oh god, Kreacher!" Penny chided after Regulus and scraped past the leg of the frozen still death eater and ran towards the hallway. Stumbling half the way she managed to dig through some debris to get to the actual small hallway of the shack.

"Kreacher!?" Penny was inwardly hoping for an answer, so when all she heard was silence she fell to her knees and started to dig in the planks, splinters and shingles.

"What are you looking for..?"

"Kreacher…!"

"Creature!?"

Penny turned to look up at Gideon who was now sitting down beside her.

"No! Kreacher!He's a small humanoid thing with pointy ears…"

"HOUSE ELF!" Regulus shouted from the other room, still being held tightly by Fabian. Without further question Fabian started to dig, and after a couple of handfuls each they saw a tiny small hand, clutching tightly to a rock. They removed a couple of planks and some old bricks from the small body of his. It had been a hard blow against the poor small thing. Penny's eyes were welling up, she bit her lower lip as she assumed Kreacher had died from the hard fall and knock .Until…she heard him groan. Penelope picked him up in her arms and held him like you'd hold a child.

"Come on, we need to egt out of here in case more come. We will be notifying the ministry."  
"What about the frozen one!"

"He'll remain that way until the others arrive and can secure the scene…" When he said the word scene it dawned on her. One of the death-eaters were dead. The other was still frozen by the counter. Regulus was followed out by Fabian, giving Penelope a guilty look.

"Penelope, I'm sorry for getting you into this" he whispered to her as they stood next to each other. Gideon picked up her bag and returned to the small group, and nodded. Gideon grabbed Penny, Fabian took a hold of Regulus and off they went, they apparated out. They were in so much trouble.


End file.
